Summary

Wang, a con man who sells water, is fretting about the visitation of three powerful gods. When the gods ask if they can have somewhere to stay for the night, Wang asks countless households if the gods can stay in a spare room. All the people turn him down, much to the dismay of the gods. They have come to see if there are any truly “good” people left on the earth. Wang finds them a room with the local prostitute, Shen Teh. She had to turn away a customer to make room for them, which meant having to forgo earning her rent, but she gave the gods a room to sleep in. The next morning, they leave and thank her for her hospitality. She begins to discuss how difficult it is to be good and still make a living in a poor society. The...